Platform conveyer.



T. M. KEITH.

PLATFORM CONVEYER.

.wPucATloN'v FILED JUNE 23. 1914.

1 1 9 l ,434. -Ilatented July 18, 1916.

lllllmm 23 ,3l l 33-I `'momes mi. KEITH, on BnooKLYN, Newsom.

PLATFORM conversa."

Specication of Letters Patent.

Application led funeA 23, 1914. Serial No. 846,811.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS M. KEITH, 'a citizen of the United States,and resident of Brooklyn, in the county. of Kings and State v of NewYork, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in PlatformConveyers, of which the followingis a specilication. j -v The inventionrelates to improvements in platform-conveyers designed particularly fortransporting merchandise or passengers in opposite directions eitheralong a oor level or in an angular path; and the object of the inventionis to provide a simple and durable endless conveyer, having butrfewparts, and arranged for both lateral and vertical .iiexibilitynA l Afurther object includes means for supporting and propelling conveyers ofconsiderable length.' And the invention also includes certain details ofconstruction hereinafter set forth'.

In describing the invention in detail reference is had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of vthis specification, andwherein like characters of reference are used to designate correspondingparts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a ground plan illustrating the conveyer embodied in thepresent invention; Fig. 2, a side elevation, partially in section, of ahorizontally disposed conveyer; Fig. 3,

a sideelevation of a portion of a conveyer disposed in anangular path;Fig. 4, an enlarged transverse sectional elevation, lshowing thesupporting and driving mechanism; Fig. 5, an .enlarged detailv groundplan of one of the platform sectiins, shown in connection with a portionof the adjacent sections, and arranged more particularly for conveyershaving a horizontal movement;

Fig. 6, a longitudinal sectional elevation of Fig`.5; Fig. 7, anenlarged detail ground.-

plan of a two-part platform section, arranged with a transverse hingeconnection for conveyers moving in a vertically angular path; and Fig. 8is a longitudinal sectional elevation of Fig. 7.

' In the drawings, numeral 1 designates a" floor level, provided withthe excavation or conveyer-pit 2, within which are mounted the terminalconveyer-wheels 3 and 4, the former arranged to run loosely upon a pinsecured to the fixed base 5 and the latter to run loosely upon a pinsecured to the movable base 6,which in turn is slidably mounti ed uponthe Xed-plate. 7 l and. adjustable Patenten Jury is, raie.'

thereonby the hand-screw 8,- the latter effecting the relativelongitudinal adjustment of the. conveyer-wheels for regulating theoperative tension of the `platform sections 9 of theconveyer.v rllhewheels are-provided with vertical flat surfaces 10 for engaging thelnner stralght edges of the platform sections, the lower adjacentsurface of the latter being in part supported and. guided bytheprojecting loweriange 11 of the wheels.

As shown in detail in Figs. 5 and 6, the platform sections 9 are all ofsimilar constructionand interchangeable-with yone another. Theyvareformed-with circular ends having offset upper and lower surfacesconstituting upper ,and lower pivotal joint members for theconnectingsections, wherein the latter jointly present alined upper andlower surfaces for the reception of the superposed working load and thelower supporting mechanism. Axially of the pivotal joints the connectingsections are provided with pins 12, arranged with end abutments toVprevent essentiallythe vertical displacement of the connected members.The adjacent marginal edges of the sections are concentric `with thepins 12 and are somewhat separated from each other to leave a clearancespace 13 for facilitating the assemblage of the parts. Projecting fromthe horizontal bearing surfaces ofthe pivotal joints, the ysections areprovided with driving-lugs 14 which engage each other in theirrespective sections and are positioned thereon concentrically with thepins 12 and-also j with regard to the driving direction of the conveyer.To operatively resist the tendency of the vertical displacement of thedriving-lugs, the engaging surfaces of the latter are beveledaccordingly with reference to the direction of movement, as .indicatedby the arrow. ,The vbearing surfaces of the pivotal joints are furtherprovided with clearance recesses 15 to afford the necessary axialmovement of the driving-lugs formed on the adjacent members.\ Projectingbelow the lower surface of the sections and adjacent the opposite sideedges thereof, are.'

bearing-shoes 16, and also fixed to the lower side of the sections arethe centrally disposed projecting 'drive-pins 17, equally spacedlongitudinally with respect Ito the assembled sections. j

The supporting mechanism, as herein shown, consists of a plurality ofrollers 18,

Aass

loosely mounted for rotation upon pins fixed in brackets 19, carried bysuitably arranged footings within the pit. rIhe rollers are disposed ona common level and movably support the bearing-shoes 16 ofthe platformsecformed on the rollers. ,-Provision for the wearing action by thesupporting mechanism may obviously be made byv detachably se-4 curingytothe bearing-shoes suitable' Wearplates having their endslaterallybeveled.

and overlapping to present uninterrupted contact surfaces for engagementof the rollers. In the circular movementof the conveyer around thelterminal wheels 3 and 4, the main support of the platform sections ispreferably obtained by the engagement of the bearing-shoes with thefixed bars 20, curved to accord with the path of the shoes andconveniently supported within the pit.

In conveyers of this class having considerable length, power ispreferably applied thereto'at two or more points intermediate theterminal wheels, and, as herein shown, includes a main shaft 21, mountedWithin the pit in bearings 22 and provided with a driving-pulley 23,arranged to receive its power from any convenient source, as the belt24. From the lshaft 21, motion is transmitted in suitable direction to asecond shaft 25 by the gears 26 and 27, fixed to said shaftsrespectively, said second shaft being, likewise supported within the pitby the bearings 28. Upon the shafts 21 a-nd25 are respectively fxed thechain-wheels 29 and 30, carrying their respective chains 31 and32,'constituting drive-chains, provided in the usual manner withidler-wheels 33, mounted in conventional bearings. Suitable attachmentsare provided for the drive-chains forl engaging the drive-pins 17, fixedto the bottom of the platform sections, and upon the rotation of theshafts, power will be-transmtted to the two points on oppositelongitudinalsides of the conveyer and accordingly divide the workingstress thereon and' provide' amore efficient device. v Y

When the path of the' conveyer is of considerable vertical angularity,as shown inl Fig. 3, the platform sections, as indicated in Figs. 7 and8, are preferably constructed in two parts 9a and 9", and are hingedtogether for vertical flexibility bythe hinge-pins 34. 'Ihese two-partsections, like the one-part sction 9, are similarly pivoted together forlateral flexibility at the axial points 12a, and they are similarlyprovided with drivinglugs 14, clearance spaces 15a, bearing-shoes 16a,and drive-pins 17a, all arranged and operated in a manner similar tothat heretofore described for the horizontally disposed conveyer, thesupporting means in the angular conveyer being lndicated by the rollers18,

menace- While the two-part platform sections are preferably used vforconveyers having considerable vertical angularity, it will be evidentthat the normal clearances necessary for the members of the one-partplatform sections will admit the employment of the latter in situationsof limited vertical angularity. l v y As the operation of the variousparts has beenset out in detail and in the connections wherein theycoperate with each other it is believed a recapitulation of the` entireoperation is unnecessary. It is apparent, of course, that while Iillustrate and describe thelpreferred embodiment of the invention it issusceptible of various changes as regards its' form, proportion, detailconstruction, and arrangement of parts without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention.l

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1, An endless platform-conveyer comprising a plurality of similarplatform sections, the ends of eachthereof formed in horizontal offsetrelation and constituting upper and lower joint members provided withcircular terminal edges .and engaging each other in adjacent sectionsand presenting alined upper surfaces, integral driving-lugs projectingfrom the engaging faces of said joint members in concentric arrangementwith the circular terminal edges thereof and engaging each other inadjacent sections, clearance recesses formed in the engaging faces ofsaid joint members for the reception of the driving-lugs of the adjacentsections, pins axially disposed with respect to said circular terminal.edges and driving-lugs and pivotally connecting said adjacent sections,and means for supporting and propelling said connected sections.

y2. In a platform-conveyer, a platform section' having the ends thereofformed in horizontal offset relation and constituting upper and'lowerjoint members provided with circular terminal edges and adaptedto engagecorresponding members in adjacent sections and, present therewith analined upper surface, perflorations formed in said joint members inaxial relation with the circular terminal edges thereof and adapted toreceive pins for connecting said adjacent sections together, vintegraldriving-lugs projecting from the engaging faces of said joint members inconcentric relation with the circular terminal edges thereof and adaptedto engage corresponding driving-lugs in said adjacent sections, andclearance recesses formed in the engaging faces .of said Ajoint membersand adapted for the reception of the driving-lugs of said adjacentsections.

3. In a platform conveyer, a two-part platform section therefor, avertically flexing hinge connection uniting said parts together,

horizontally offset upper and lower joint members formed at the oppositeends of said two-part section and provided with circular terminal edgesand adapted to engage corresponding members in adjacent sections andpresent therewith alined upper surfaces, integral vdriving-lugsprojecting from the engaging faces of said joint members in concentricrelation with the circular terminal edges thereof and adapted to engagecorresponding driving-lugs in said adjacent sections7 and clearancerecesses formed in the engaging faces of said joint members and adaptedfor the reception of the drivinglugs of said adjacent sections.

4. An endless platform conveyer comprising a plurality of similartwo-part platform sections, a vertically iexing hinge connection unitingthe parts of each of said two-part sections together, horizontally osetupper and lower joint members formed at the opposite ends of-eachof saidtwofaces of said joint members in concentrlc relation with the circularterminal edgesthereof and engagingcorresponding lugs in adjacentsections, clearance' recesses formed in the engaging faces of said jointmembers for the reception of the driving-lugs of the adjacent sections,and means for supporting and propelling said sections.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this18th day of June A. D. 1914.

' THOMAS M. KEITH.

Witnesses:

CHAs. W. LA RUE, NVALTER H. HUsTED.

